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Abstract:

A gas burner for simplifying assembling and manufacturing of a burner
flame hole unit by overlapping plates. Portions of the plates are cut so
that the cut portions communicate with each other. Flame holes and
mixture channels for a mixture of gas and air pass through a gap between
the cut portions. The cut portions overlap and communicate with each
other between adjacent plates, thereby forming flame holes and channels
for flow of the mixture of gas and air through gaps between the cut
portions.

Claims:

1. A gas burner having a plurality of inlets and a plurality of flame
holes through which a mixture of a gas and air is injected and at which
flames are supported, the gas burner comprising at least two overlapping
cut plates, each cut plate having a plurality of cutout portions
extending from a respective edge of the cut plate, wherein the cutout
portions of adjacent cut plates partially overlap each other for
continuous flow of a gas mixture, and the cutout portions include gaps at
respective edges of the plates, the gaps defining the inlets for the gas
mixture and the flame holes for supporting flames.

2. The structure according to claim 1, comprising sets of overlapping cut
plates, each set of overlapping cut plates including an inner cut plate
having cutouts and having gaps at an upper edge, and outer cut plates
overlapping opposite sides of the inner cut plate and having cutouts and
having gaps at lower edges, the cutouts in the inner plate corresponding
to and in fluid communication with the cutouts in the inner cut plate.

3. The structure according to claim 2, including fixing plates
overlapping opposite sides of each set of cut plates, wherein the flame
holes are disposed at a uniform interval.

4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein each flame hole has a
rectangular cross-sectional shape.

5. The structure according to claim 2, wherein each flame hole has a
rectangular cross-sectional shape.

6. The structure according to claim 3, wherein each flame hole has a
rectangular cross-sectional shape.

Description:

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a flame hole unit structure of a
gas burner, and more particularly, to a flame hole unit structure of a
gas burner in which a structure of a burner flame hole unit can be
simplified and the unit can be easily assembled and manufactured by
overlapping cut portions of a plurality of partially-cut plates to cross
each other to form a mixed gas (gas and air) flow path and a flame hole
through a gap between the cut portions.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] In general, a gas burner used in a combustion device such as a
boiler or a water heater may be classified as a Bunsen burner or a
pre-mixed burner according to a method of mixing a combustion gas with
air.

[0003] The Bunsen burner is a burner that supplies a minimum of primary
air required for combustion in a nozzle unit through which a gas is
injected, and supplies excessive secondary air to a portion at which a
flame is formed, realizing perfect combustion, and has an advantage of
good combustion stability. However, since the flame is formed by the
secondary air, a flame length may be increased.

[0004] The pre-mixed burner combusts a pre-mixed gas in which a combustion
gas and air are pre-mixed in a mixing chamber. Since the entire flame
length can be reduced and a flame temperature can be lowered to reduce a
load with respect to the same area, generation of pollutants such as
carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and so on, can be reduced to a minimum
value.

[0005] While the Bunsen burner is mainly used in the conventional art, in
recent times, a pre-mixed burner has mainly been used to reduce
generation of pollutants and miniaturize a combustion chamber.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional
flame hole unit structure of a gas burner.

[0007] A conventional pre-mixed type gas burner 1 has a structure in which
air supplied from a blower 30 and a combustion gas supplied through a gas
supply pipe 40 are pre-mixed in a manifold 50 installed at a front
surface of a burner body 20 to be supplied to a burner flame hole unit 10
installed over the burner body 20.

[0008] While the conventional burner flame hole unit 10 has a structure in
which flame holes are punched in one plate having a flat or cylindrical
shape, such a structure may cause imperfect combustion and backfire when
a combustion surface of the burner is deformed or, in a severe case,
damage to the flame holes occurs due to thermal stress.

[0009] In order to compensate for these disadvantages, a burner flame hole
unit structure formed of a material such as a metal fiber mat woven of a
metal fiber, a ceramic plate manufactured by sintering ceramic, or the
like, has been used.

[0010] However, according to the flame hole unit structure formed of the
metal fiber mat or the ceramic plate, a material cost is increased and a
manufacturing method is complicated, which increases a manufacturing
cost, and a structure of a pre-mixer is complicated, which increase a
pressure loss so that a flame becomes unstable and noises occur.

[0011] In addition, when the metal fiber mat manufactured through weaving
is used as a material for the flame hole unit, since an operator pulls
and assembles the metal fiber mat upon assembly of the burner, irregular
sizes of the flame holes in a local area or the entire area of the metal
fiber mat may cause imperfect combustion and backfire, and flexibility in
material characteristics of the metal fiber mat may cause sagging after
installation, irregularly deforming the combustion surface and the flame
holes.

[0012] Further, in the case in which the ceramic plate manufactured
through the sintering method is used as a material for the flame hole
unit, when condensation water generated from a heat exchanger upon upward
combustion is dropped on the combustion surface, a surface of the flame
hole unit may be damaged due to water to generate the flame holes having
irregular shapes, increasing probability of generation of imperfect
combustion.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0013] In order to solve the foregoing and/or other problems, it is an
aspect of the present invention to provide a flame hole unit structure of
a gas burner in which a structure of a burner flame hole unit can be
simplified and the structure can be easily manufactured.

TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0014] The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention may be
achieved by providing a flame hole unit structure of a gas burner having
a plurality of flame holes through which a mixed gas of a gas and air is
injected to form a flame, characterized in that a plurality of partially
cut plates overlap, the cutout portions of the adjacent plates overlap
across each other, and a mixed gas (the gas and air) flow path and the
flame holes are formed through gaps of the cutout portions.

[0015] Here, the plurality of plates may include a plurality of
overlapping sets of plates, each set including an inner plate having a
partially cut upper or lower groove and outer plates overlapping at both
sides of the inner plate and having partially cut upper and lower grooves
corresponding to the groove formed in the inner plate to cross each
other.

[0016] In addition, fixing plates may additionally overlap at both sides
of the set of plates so that the plurality of flame holes are disposed at
predetermined intervals.

[0017] Further, the flame hole may have a flat rectangular cross-sectional
shape.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

[0018] According to the flame hole unit structure of the gas burner of the
present invention, a plurality of partially-cut plates overlap to form
the burner flame hole unit so that a structure of the burner flame hole
unit can be simplified and the structure can be easily manufactured, and
thus, time and cost consumed for manufacture of the gas burner can be
reduced.

[0019] In addition, according to the present invention, as the moving path
of the mixed gas and the structure in communication with the flame holes
are formed in the gap between the overlapping plates, a deformation level
of the flame holes due to thermal stress can be reduced to increase
stability of the flame and prevent imperfect combustion.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] The above and other aspects and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following
description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings of which:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional
flame hole unit structure of a gas burner;

[0022]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a flame hole unit structure of a
gas burner in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;

[0041] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the
present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
the following embodiments can be readily understood and modified into
various types, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to
the embodiments.

[0042]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a flame hole unit structure of a
gas burner in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention, FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of FIG. 2,
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2, FIG. 5
is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 2, FIG. 6 is a
cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 2, FIG. 7 is a
cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 2, and FIG. 8 is a
cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 2.

[0043] A flame hole unit 100 of a gas burner in accordance with the
present invention has a structure in which a plurality of thin plates
overlap and are assembled, and is characterized in that a path through
which a mixed gas of a gas and air moves is formed inside the overlapping
plates to be in communication with upper flame holes.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a burner flame hole unit 100 in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes
inner plates 110 (111, 112 and 113) in which a plurality of grooves 111a
having partially cut upper portions are formed at predetermined
intervals, and outer plates 120 (121, 122, 123, 124, 125 and 126) in
which a plurality of grooves 121a and 122a having partially cut lower
portions are formed at predetermined intervals to be vertically
symmetrical to the grooves 111a formed in the inner plates 110, and
overlap and are coupled to both surfaces of the inner plates 110.

[0045] As shown, the grooves 111a, 121a and 122a are cut in substantially
a "C" shape to be opened upward or downward so that, in a state in which
the inner plates 110 and the outer plates 120 overlap, the grooves 111a
formed in the inner plates 110 are in partial communication with the
grooves 121a and 122a formed in the outer plates 120 to form a flow path
of the mixed gas.

[0046] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 3, the inner plate 111 and the outer
plates 121 and 122 disposed at both sides of the inner plate 111 to
overlap configure a set of plates, and sets of plates overlap to be
repeatedly disposed in a multi-stage.

[0047] In addition, solid fixing plates 130 (131, 132, 133 and 134)
overlap and are coupled between the sets of plates.

[0048] The fixing plates 130 perform a function of forming gaps between
flame holes 160 (161, 162 and 163) when the plates have different
thicknesses, in addition to a function of forming the flow path of the
mixed gas.

[0049] Here, mixed gas inlet ports 140 (141, 142, 143, 144, 145 and 146)
are formed at a lower side of the burner flame hole unit 100 by gaps of
the grooves 121a and 122a of the outer plates 120 between the fixing
plates 130 and the inner plates 110.

[0050] The mixed gas introduced into the mixed gas inlet ports 140 is
conveyed upward to be gathered in inner spaces 151, 152 and 153 defined
by the gaps of the grooves 111a of the inner plates 110 and the grooves
121a and 122a of the outer plates 120 between the fixing plates 130.

[0051] In addition, the mixed gas gathered in the inner spaces 151, 152
and 153 is conveyed upward to be injected upward through flame holes 160
(161, 162 and 163) formed by gaps of the grooves 111a of the inner plates
110 between the outer plates 120.

[0052] According to the above-mentioned configuration, since the mixed gas
introduced through the two mixed gas inlet ports 141 and 142 is injected
through the one flame hole 161 and a cross-sectional area of the flame
hole 161 is smaller than that of the inner space 151, the mixed gas can
be rapidly injected through the flame hole 161.

[0053] Meanwhile, while the embodiment has been described as an example in
which the grooves 111a formed in the inner plates 110 are opened upward
and the grooves 121a and 122a formed in the outer plates 120 are opened
downward, on the other hand, the grooves 111a formed in the inner plates
110 and the grooves 121a and 122a formed in the outer plates 120 may be
opened downward and upward, respectively, in different directions.
According to such a configuration, the mixed gas introduced into the one
mixed gas inlet port is divided into the two flame holes to be injected.

[0054] In FIG. 6, reference numerals 141a to 146c designate mixed gas
inlet ports formed in a lateral direction, in FIG. 7, reference numerals
151a to 153c designate inner spaces formed in the lateral direction, and
in FIG. 8, reference numerals 161a to 163c designate flame hole units
formed in the lateral direction.

[0055] According to the flame hole unit structure of the gas burner in
accordance with the present invention, since the plurality of plates
overlap to form the path of the mixed gas to be in communication with the
upper flame holes, deformation of the flame holes due to thermal stress
can be minimized.

[0056] In addition, while the embodiment has a configuration in which the
three sets of plates overlap, the number of sets of plates may be
differently configured in consideration of a maximum output amount of the
gas burner.

[0057] The foregoing description concerns an exemplary embodiment of the
invention, is intended to be illustrative, and should not be construed as
limiting the invention. The present teachings can be readily applied to
other types of devices and apparatuses. Many alternatives, modifications,
and variations within the scope and spirit of the present invention will
be apparent to those skilled in the art.